Do You Know Karate? Instructional Fighting DVDs and You

Okay, I admit it: The ad copy for our Instructional Fighting DVDs can be a bit . . . extreme. That's why we use the phrase "more fun than Jackie Chan movies" to add a bit of levity. We know that the average, sane guy doesn't want to "slaughter" or "destroy" anyone, but the truth is that a little attention getting never hurt anyone. That's a fact, because this post is a response to the level of traffic our instructional DVD pages get.

That's why I want to take a moment to talk about self-defense training in straightforward language, without the, shall we say, "excitement" of the ad copy. How will you get the most out of an instructional video?

Exercise before Karate!

Lots of people buy self-defense DVDs because let's face it: There are big, strong guys out there that make us all kind of nervous. That's a bit of a clue - to be more confident, think about getting stronger! Work on your cardio. Go outside. Not everybody wants to be Mr. Universe, but an active lifestyle with fitness goals is one of the foundations of personal self-defense. Training won't make that go away.

No Secret Moves - Just Practice, Practice, Practice

Yeah, the ad copy talks about "lethal moves," and secret techniques, but if you ever watch these things the actual techniques are usually applied, refined common sense. For example, Paul Vunak's videos often talk about the "straight blast." What is that? Well, you punch someone and move forward, then you do it again, and again, and again, to overwhelm your opponent. There are lots of little details but that's basically it!

The "secret" is to do a good job of it, by getting the details right and practicing over and over again, with equipment and if you can manage it, a partner. DVDs provide the right visual reference, allowing you to perfect your technique.

It's One Part of Self-Defense

Remember to put all of this stuff in its place. Hand to hand combat is a very small part of self defense. 90% of safety is situational awareness and determination, along with the other elements we covered in our last self-defense article.